Taking care of your teeth can be complex at times, but it is easy to stick to a set of sensible principles to keep your teeth as healthy as possible and avoid the need for CT scans caused by inopportune damage.
Clean your teeth with fluoride toothpaste for two minutes when you get up in the morning and again at night to keep your mouth healthy, and avoid plaque and tooth decay. Attend regular checkups with your dentist and for the most part that is all you need to do.
One of the most well-intentioned pieces of dental advice that might be doing more harm than good is the idea that you should brush your teeth after every meal.
You should give your mouth at least thirty minutes between brushing your teeth and eating a meal, regardless of which you do first, in order to avoid damaging the softer enamel, causing higher tooth sensitivity and making your teeth more vulnerable to the acids and sugars in your mouth.
After half an hour, your mouth has settled, the enamel has hardened and you are fine to clean your teeth again.
The reason why a lot of people make this mistake, besides learning old, bad habits, is often the result of conflating fresh breath and a clean-feeling mouth with a mouth that has been properly cleaned.
There are a few dental health habits that feel like they are effective but can cause more harm than good, such as using a toothbrush with firm bristles. They feel thorough but they can brush away vital enamel instead, causing more harm than good in the process.
Instead, rinse your mouth out with water after a meal in order to help wash away some of the acidic foods that linger in your mouth following a meal.
If in doubt, ask your dentist during your next appointment when you should brush, floss or use mouthwash.